Sofa-bedstead



' UNITED sTATEs 'PATENT OFFICE.

R. SCARRITT, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

soFA-BEnsTEAD.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 7,707, dated October 8, 1850; Reissued January 7, 1851, No. 185.

`ToaZZ whom it may concern ful Improvements on a Piece of Furniture,r

called a Sofa-Bed, which Can at Vill be Readily Converted into Either a Sofa or a- Bed; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l, is a perspective view of the said piece of furniture in the form of a bed, and Figs. 2, 3, and 4, are views of the same when converted into a sofa, Fig. 2, being an elevation of the rear side thereof, Fig. 3, a vertical transverse section in the line of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4, an elevation of one of its ends.

Similar letters indicate like parts in all the figures.

A box composed of the top B, the front side G, the ends F, F, the rear side E, and the bottom H, is the nucleus upon which I construct my improved sofa-bed. The sides and ends of the said box are joined together by means of the corner posts F, F, which rise above the box a sufficient distance to form supports for the ends of a sofa. The top B, of the nucleus box, is hinged to the upper edge of the front side G, thereof, and its ends rest upon the cleats z', z', which are made fast to the inner ends of the box. A frame A, is suspended by pivots between the rear corner posts F, F, of the nucleus box, as shown in Figs. 2, and 3; the pivots that support the frame A, project from the plates t, t, (Fig. 2,) that are secured to its rear side, a short distance above its lower angles, and which pass into holes or boxes let into the inner sides of the said rear posts F, F.

A mattress B, is secured to the upper side of the top B, of the box, and a mattress A, is secured to the front side of the frame A; the mattress B, serving as the seat, and the mattress A', as the back of a sofa, when they are placed in the positions shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4; and the two mattresses serving as a bed, when the mattress A', is placed in the position shown in Fig. 1.

Frames D, D, corresponding in size and shape with the sofa ends-that rise from the ends (F, F,) of the nucleus box-are hinged to the rear corner posts F, F', as shown in the drawings. When the mattress A, is thrown into a` vertical (or an inclined) position to convert the piece of furniture into a sofa, the frames D, D, are swung inward against the back A, of the mattress, and by means of the buttons 7c, 76,-secured to the rear side E, of the box--the frames D, D, are retained in that position, and thereby securely retain the mattress A', in its proper position for forming the back of a sofa. The rear edge of the mattress B, abuts firmly against the mattress A, when the latter forms the back of a sofa (as above described) and thereby aids in retaining it in this position. When it is desired to throw the mattress A, and the frames D, D, into such positions as to form with the mattress B, and the sofa ends, a capacious and handsomely proportioned French-shaped bedsteaol, covered with mattresses; the frames D, D, are first unfastened and thrown outward into a line with the sofa-ends, the rear edge of the mattress B, is then elevated by taking hold of the loop w, to permit the mattress A', to be thrown back into a hori- `zontal position; in which position its ends will rest upon the cleats Z, l, (Fig. 3,) which are secured to and project from the inner sides of the frames D, D. When the mattress A, is thrown into this position, its inner edge closely abuts against the inner edge of the mattress B, as shown in Fig. 1.

An apron C, made of canvas or other suitable material, and having a stiti'ening rod h, confined to its outer edge, has its inner edge made fast to the inner edge of the mattress A, as shown in Fig. 3, which apron (C,) serves the following purpose, to wit: The sheets, pillows, and bed covering, are placed on the apron (0,) within the nucleus box, and when they are required for use, the mattress B, is raised upon its hinges, the rod 71., taken hold of by the hand and drawn with the apron out of the box, which movement will throw the pillows, sheets, and bed-covering out on to the mattress A. The apron C, is then spread over the mattress B, and the sheets &c. are spread over both mattresses.

)When it is desired to change the sofa-bed from a bed to a sofa, the stiflening rod h, (in the outer edge of the apron 0,) is elevated and carried back so as to throw all the bed covering and the pillows onto the mat-tress A; the mattress B, is then raised upon its hinges, and while it is in an elevated position the mattress A, is turned upward; which movement of the apron and mattresses, will deposit the apron, with the pillows and bed-covering inclosed therein, within the nucleus box.

Sheet 2, Figs. 5, and 6, represent a modified form of my improved sofa-bed. In this modification, the nucleus box and the mattresses A, and B, are constructed and combined with each other in substantially the same manner as before described. The apron C, is also combined with the mattress A', in the same manner and serves the same purpose as above set forth.

The sofa ends M, M, that rise from the ends of the nucleus box in this modification,

are'of a scroll-shape; the mattress A, is retained when in an elevated position to form a sofa back, by means of the buttons o, o, (Fig. 6,) on the rear edges of the sofa ends. The mattress A, is supported when it is placed in a horizontal position, by means of the legs 9", r, which are attached to the outer ends of the arms Q, Q, that are hinged to the back E, of the nucleus box, as shown in the drawings. `When this form of sofabed is converted into a sofa, the legs 7", 1"', and arms Q, Q, are folded inward against the back E, of the box, as shown in Fig. 6. Sliding boards N, N, are let into receptacles formed in the sofa ends M, M, which are drawn out when the mattress A, is placed in a horizont-al position to convert the sofabed into a bed, for the purpose of forming the head and foot boards opposite the ends lof this mattress; and when the mattress A,

is elevated, to form a sofa back, these sliding boards N, N, are pushed into the receptacles in the sofa ends, as shown in Fig. 6.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the frames D, D, which are of the same form as the sofa-ends F, F, with the said sofa-ends, substantially inV the manner and for the purpose as herein setforth; to'wit, when the back A, is elevated to conve-rt the sofa-bed into a sofa, the frames D, D, must be swung inward against the sofa back to retain it in an elevated position, and to throw the said frames out of the way and out of sight; and when it isdesired to change the sofa-bed from a sofa to a bed, the said frames D, D, can only be swung outward into a line with the sofa ends F, F, so that the ledges Z, Z, on the inner sides of the same, will unerringly catch and retain the back A, when it reaches a horizontal Aposition as it is thrown rearward; in which position, substantially as herein set forth.

The sofa ends F, F, and the swinging frames D, D, will form an ornamental and uniform head and foot to the bed form of my improved sofa-bed.

The above specification of my improved sofa-bed, signed and witnessed this 29th day o-f May, 1850.

RUSSELL SCARRITT.

lVitnesses:

A. H. GILLETT, P. H. MASON.

[FIRST PRINTEn 1913.] 

